Sea kayaking the Magdalen Islands.
Photo by Nathan Ward.

Out the window of the twin-prop plane, the world below looks totally uninhabitable. The frozen sea erratically fractured into random piles of thick blue ice, testaments to currents and wind. From the air, the Magdalen Islands appear lost in this white world—just small rolling hills with few trees, the brightly colored houses like colored candies thrown upon the snow. It feels like one of the last places on the planet to paddle a sea kayak.

However, in spring, these islands in northern Quebec offer a paddling experience found in few places—thin water routes through the disintegrating ice packs of winter. Every March, the ice starts to break up and blow away from the islands, creating strips of water between the land and the pack. These cold leads create the weekend warrior's version of Arctic-style paddling.

At the same time, much farther offshore, Harp seal herds follow their centuries-old migratory patterns and swim to the Magdalen Islands. They chew holes in the ice and climb to the surface to give birth to their furry pups, called "whitecoats."

We had come to the Magdalens for two reasons, to try our luck at paddling the icy waters and to observe the annual Harp seal calving. It sounds remote, but it's close to the US, and we planned to do both in the space of a long weekend.

The Magdalen Islands consist of 12 bits of land in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence—located closer to Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick than mainland Quebec. Sand spits join six of the islands—home to 13,000 French-speaking people with a long relationship with the sea as fisherman and seal hunters.

On one side of the islands, a sandy beach slides gently into the water. On the other side, the stark red cliffs of Belle Anse drop into the Gulf, their bases riddled with caves and tunnels. Which side we were to paddle depended entirely on nature's whims.

Like life in the rest of the Magdalens, the kayaking possibilities are determined by the wind. "We paddle into the caves or just along the beach, depending on where the wind has opened the ice flows," explained Eric Marchand, owner of Aerosport, the company that runs the winter kayaking trips.

The paddling trips are short, just half a day, but they wind through a magical forest of of ice, in and out of tunnels and caves. Sometimes the water is clear, but other times the line is less distinct. "Some days we paddle through an ocean of slush," says Marchand, "and we never go out when it's windy enough to cause the ice to shift." Shifting ice could easily turn a kayaker into a plastic-wrapped pancake.

I arrived eager to experience this icy paddling world. However, at the shore, I saw nothing but solid pack ice from my feet to the horizon. "The ice can blow out at any time," promised Marchand.

Apparently the water leads are open only about 50 percent of the time in March, so coming to the islands to paddle is a bit of a gamble—much like any trip that depends on liquid water in the midst of freezing temperatures. While we waited for the winds to open the water, we spent our time learning how to kite ski, tasting fine French wines and flirting with the pretty girl working at the new microbrewery.

After two days of waiting it became apparent that the ice wasn't going to blow out during our stay, so we took a helicopter 40 minutes out over the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to look for the Harp seal herds. Flying just over the surface, the adult seals were easy to spot, their dark bodies obvious against the blue ice. They scrambled for their holes and dropped back into the sea as we landed, but the newborn pups were too young to flee. They simply lay there on the ice, round and warm in their baby fat.

The pups look like fat little furry marshmallows with jet black eyes, growling and spitting at our arrival. For two hours I walked on the ice observing the pups. It seemed as though there were seals around every corner—hundreds of newborns as far as the eye could see.

In a strange twist of tourism, two weeks after we left, these same whelping grounds became the site for the newly-reinstated seal hunt, which heavily targets Harp seals. The annual quota includes 350,000 seals, with a good percentage of these being taken in the Magdalen Islands.

Whether you agree with seal hunting or not, it's a fact of life in the Magdalens, where fishing and seal hunting remain the traditional means of making a living. At the same time, enterprising young women and men are developing the adventure-tourism industry—sea kayaking the ice leads, kite skiing across the frozen lakes and mushing dog sleds through the forests.

It's the new face of the mariner's age-old quest to wrestle a living from the sea and though it's just a short flight away, it's a whole new world. See you there.

Overview: The Magdalen Islands offer true French culture. The language, lifestyle and cuisine all reflect this background. Most everyone speaks both French and English. French cuisine is an art in itself and the food here allows you eat your way to happiness.

Summertime provides more sea kayaking opportunities—multi-day routes, caves, sea tunnels and lagoons filled with migratory birds.

Getting There: In winter, the only way to the Magdalen Islands is by air through Montreal or Quebec City Try Air Canada. From April 1 to January 31, a ferry runs from Prince Edward Island.

Logistics: It's easy to drive around the Magdalens. For rental agencies, visit www.tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com. There are no kayaks for rent, so you need to bring your own or go with an outfitter. The Magdalen Islands tourism office offers everything you need or 1-877-624-4437.

While You're There: Don't miss the Harp seals. Other activities include: kite skiing, dog sledding, cross-country skiing and snowshoe trips. In summer, go sea kayaking, swimming, kite boarding, fishing, cycling, hiking or sit on the beach.

Lodging: Kayaking and seal trips leave from the Chateau Madelinot in Cap-aux-Meules. Visit www.ilesdelamadeleine.com/hotels.

For lodging elsewhere on the islands, visit www.tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com.

Outfitters/Resources:

Aerosport Carrefour d'Aventures runs sea kayaking trips. For seal trips, www.ilesdelamadeleine.com/hotels. For other outfitters, visit www.tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com.